GARGANTUAN MAPS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10958, 26 December 1911, Page 1

GARGANTUAN MAPS.

SCALE THAT SHOWS HEN-RUNS AND GREENHOUSES.

The time-honored privacy of the Englishman's back garden has been violated liy the new ordinance maps, which are being produced to meet the requirements of the land valuation.officials.

The new maps are on so large a scale that the owner of a hen-run of 18ft in length will have it plainly marked oil the map of his district —marked with such exactness that his neighbors will be able to criticise its architectural beauties without having resource to the ancient practice of peering over the garden wall. The scale of the maps is 50 inches to tho mile, and even the letter-boxes and lire alarms are marked. This will bo an inestimable advantage to householders who arc unfortunate enough to have a fire, for a hasty glance at the map will direct their flight to the nearest alarm post by the shortest possible route.

Greenhouses assume quite imposing proportions, and are diffi.-.vitiated from the surrounding coal colbu - ,; bv having a diamond-shaped lattice-work across their surfaces.

There are few points which lack importance in the eyes of the land- valuation officers, and detailed accuracy has been brought to such a 'high' standard in these maps that a pine is depicted with quite different foliage from the neighboring oaks, and the fruit trees bear no resemblance to rhododendrons, which latter look like small mole hills on the map. . ,

So far the maps are confined to urban district areas, and it is not believed that they will be extended to the rural districts, as their size would reach almost unmanageable proportions.

A map of Hyde Park on this scale would measure about seven and a-half feet in length. Two hundred and fifty of these sectional maps have already been issued, and more are to follow shortly.